A Life After Death
by Fangirl Forevz
Summary: Instead of Jason Todd being killed by the Joker, it was Dick Grayson. Dick is resurrected by Ra's Al Ghul, and the effects of the Lazarus Pit permanently damages to his sanity. When Dick finally gets a grip on himself and finds a way to return to Gotham, how will he react when it seems as though his loved ones replaced him? There are only a few references to Under the Red Hood.
1. Late

**AN: Short chapter alert. You know how it is, the first ones are always the shortest. Yes, you read correctly, I'm making yet another multi chapter story, because I obviously don't have too many already. Nah...**

 **Anyways, enjoy!**

xXx

A part of Robin was aware of the sick snapping and crunching noises that filled the air, the metallic stench of his own blood, and the blurry image of the pale man in purple that stood before him. He knew that the clown was hurting him, destroying him even, but he couldn't focus on that. His thoughts were only filled with the apologies that he would have to make once _he_ arrived to save him, because he was going to show up soon, and he was going to be so very _angry_ with him for going after the enemy on his own. He should have known better, Batman would tell him.

He didn't care about the lecture he was sure to get once he was healed. All he wanted was for all of the pain to end, for him to finally be away from that laughing _maniac_. It wouldn't be too long now, he knew. Batman would save him any second now, and they could go home...

A sudden jab at his ribcage made him gasp out loud. Joker heard this, and grinned vigorously. "Woah now, hang on. That looked like it hurt a lot more. So, let's clear this up: what hurts more? A," he slammed the crowbar into his battered body, making him jerk back. "Or B?" He repeated the same action, but aimed it at his collarbone.

Robin had been going through the same kind of torture for hours now, and it was starting to look like it wasn't ever going to end. His body hurt so much that it took every ounce of his willpower not to scream, to not give in to the agony. He was strong, he wouldn't give up. All he had to do was hold on until Batman came for him.

"Tsk tsk, zoning out? Where are your manners?!" Joker knelt down and got in his face. "I'll have to teach you a thing or two. When I'm done with you, you'll make your old man so proud!"

"Screw... You..." He said with a gasp, giving him the strongest glare he could manage.

There was a raised brow. "Ohh, you are one tough cookie. Still have some fight in you, hm? Let me fix that for you."

The next few minutes were a blur of broken bones and bruises, and Robin slipped in and out of unconsciousness several times. "Batman..." he coughed, and blood flew out of his mouth, which was a sign that he was bleeding internally. That wasn't a good thing, but it wasn't anything that Dr. Leslie couldn't fix. God, she was going to give Bruce such a hard time for letting him get mixed up with the Joker. Her glare was sometimes even scarier than the Batman's.

Joker tapped his cheek with his crowbar. "I wouldn't put all of my hopes on him if I were you. By the time he gets here, you and I will be long gone."

Gone? Robin frowned and did a few quick calculations in his head. If Joker moved him, then it would take his mentor at least another day to find him, depending on where he was being held. "Where are we going?" He asked, voice cracking.

"You'll see soon." There was another wicked grin that sent shivers down his spine. He didn't like that look at all. "In the mean time, let's continue our little bonding session, shall we?" He slammed his crowbar into Robin's abdomen with enough force to make him cry out. "Ah, and here I was thinking I wasn't ever going to hear your lovely singing voice..." He burst into a crescendo of laughter as he lifted his bar again, and Robin screamed as it made impact again. He couldn't take it anymore, he just wanted to go home!

'Batman, where are you?' He thought to himself as another shriek flew past his lips. 'Please come here soon...'

He could imagine it perfectly. Batman would break down the door and march inside, cape fluttering behind him as he took in the Joker, and his battered partner. The lenses of his cowl would narrow dangerously, and a snarl would rip through his throat as he shot forward and pulled the Joker away from his protege.

But where could he be? He should have been there by now. Did he... Did he forget about him? A cough shook his entire frame, and he felt dread sink in. He had already lost so much blood...

'Bruce...'

"Okay kiddo, I gotta go. But it's been fun, right? Well, maybe a smidge more fun for me than you. I'm just guessing, since you're being awful quiet."

Robin couldn't answer, couldn't even move if he wanted to. Joker was leaving him? Didn't he say that they were going somewhere? New hope blossomed in his chest. Maybe he caught word that Batman was on his way, and decided to retreat before he showed up. It would only slow the clown down if he had to carry Robin with him, so he decided to ditch him altogether. It made sense.

Joker didn't seem bothered by his lack of response. "Anyway, be a good boy. Finish your homework and be in bed by 9. And, hey..." There was a pause. "Please tell the big man I said, 'hello.'" He then left with another bout of laughter, door slamming shut behind him.

Robin slowly sucked in a deep breath. He wasn't going to stand in there and wallow in self pity until Batman showed up, that was for sure. He slowly rolled onto his side, ignoring the way his muscles screamed in protest. Okay, he could do this. Biting his lip, he pulled his bound hands under his feet and then moved them up so that they were then in front of him. Sure, he could move with his wrists cuffed behind his back, but this would make escaping so much easier.

He twisted his body until he was on all fours, and then pushed himself up to his feet. His legs shook uncontrollably, but he ignored them, eyeing the door across the room with determination. He attempted to take a step forward, but the entire process was full of excruciating pain that he collapsed the moment his foot hit the ground. Okay, so he would have to suck up his pride and crawl to the door. Well, he would do whatever it took to get out of there.

Back on his hands and knees, Robin dragged himself towards the door. Once he got there, he stretched his arm up to grab the handle, but it wouldn't budge. It seemed to have been locked from the outside, but Joker confiscated all of his tools hours ago, which meant that there was no possibility of picking the lock. There had to have been another way out. A window, maybe? He would have to take a break before attempting anything else. There was no way in hell that he was going to be able to climb up to a windowsill in his current state. With a disgruntled sigh, Robin sat on the floor, back pressed against the door. Just a few minutes, and he would escape...

Beep.

Blue eyes flew open. No, that couldn't be... He frantically searched for the source of the noise, and then saw it. Across the room was a small wooden table with explosives stacked on top of it. The timer told him that he only had twenty seconds left before the bombs would detonate.

Robin stared at the timer for five seconds before his brain was able to process what was happening. No. It didn't even cross his mind that he could die there! He was so focused on how much trouble he was going to be in that he didn't even think of what would happen if Batman didn't save him.

Ten seconds.

Bruce... Bruce was going to be too late. Wherever he was, he didn't have enough time to save him. Even if he was just a few feet away, Robin was a goner. He was practically dead already.

Five seconds.

He closed his eyes. All he could do was wait, now. His heart was beating loudly in his chest as the fear of what was to come settled in. He was actually going to die. Oh God, he was _going to die_...

3...

His friends would cry. Bruce would probably cry too. Hell, even Alfred would cry! He didn't even get to say goodbye to any of them. Maybe that's what hurt he hated most of all. He couldn't even say goodbye to anyone.

Because he was by himself... completely alone.

2...

There was a humming noise in the distance, and his eyes snapped open.

1...

Was that... Was that the Batmob-

0.

xXx

The Batmobile slammed to a halt, and Batman jumped out of it without much thought. The moment his feet hit the ground he was sprinting towards the house that held his adoptive son. Please, please let him be okay. If he had anything more than a couple of bruises, the Joker would have hell to p-

BOOM.

Fire and debris shot out in all directions, and he was forced to shield his face with his cape. The force of the blast made him stagger backwards, and he was sure that he would have to tend to some minor burns later, but that wasn't what he was worried about.

The building that Robin was in just _exploded_.

His blood went cold, and he shot through the destruction without a second thought. His thoughts were stuck on repeat, 'He could have survived, he could have survived, he could have survived...' was the only thing that kept him going, the anchor that kept him from breaking down right then and there. He had to find Robin, had to get him to safety, had to take care of his injuries. They would talk about punishments later, but right now, his well-being was far more important. 'Just be alive chum, please...'

The color yellow caught his eye, and he was met with the broken sight of a raven haired boy laying on the ground a few feet away. Batman stopped in his tracks, eyes widening in horror as he was forced to face the facts. "Dick... _No_..." He whispered, before stumbling over to his fallen form. The boy's uniform was stained red in several places, and half of his mask was completely ripped off. Batman's hands shook as he knelt down and scooped him up in his arms, and his eyes burned as Dick's body hung limp in his grasp. "No..." he repeated, clutching him close to his chest. "No..."

He was too late. The most precious thing in the world was taken from him, because he was so _very_ late.

"Dickie... I'm so, _so_ sorry..."

xXx

 **AN: Well, what do you think? Was it good? Bad? Soul crushing? All of the above? Please let me know through a review if you can spare the time!**

 **And like I said in the summary, this will only have a couple of references to "Under the Red Hood." If you were looking for a complete reenactment of the movie with Dick as the main character, you are not at the right place. Sorry!**


	2. Stages of Grief

(A Few Weeks Later)

Sobs echoed throughout the Mountain, belonging to both adults and children alike. The Team huddled together in the front of the cove, tears streaming down their faces as they stared at the holographic image of their fallen friend. The image of Robin stood tall, arms folded over his chest and a defiant expression worn on his face. Behind the younger heroes stood the League, who simply stared at the figure with matching looks of mourning and exhaustion. The despair over the young bird's death was shared between all generations of heroes, some taking it harder than others. Everyone in the Team was in hysterics, and some of the Leaguers who were closer to Robin were in similar conditions. Superman had his head bowed, Black Canary had her face buried in Green Arrow's shoulder, and Wonder Woman had silent tears falling from her eyes.

Every once in a while, someone would glance at Batman, who stood far away from everyone else. The brooding man kept his eyes on his protege's image, but his brain failed to process the meaning of it. No matter how he looked at it, it was impossible to comprehend that his partner was no longer present. The memories of his quirky ways were still fresh in Batman's mind, and he couldn't bring himself to acknowledge that those days were over. Even being dubbed one of the world's coldest men on Earth didn't shield him from the shock that his ward's untimely demise brought him. Instead of sharing the heroes' depression, all he could feel was numb.

Batgirl appeared at his side. "I know you're taking this harder than the rest of us, Bru- Batman. Do you want to leave?" She asked softly.

Months prior to this, Barbara had started dressing up in her own costume, claiming to be a new vigilante by the name of Batgirl. Batman had originally planned on simply telling her father about her activities, but after some pleading on Dick's part, he decided to train the girl. The Dynamic Duo soon revealed their identities to her, and Bruce told her that the only way she would be allowed to patrol is if she went through the necessary training beforehand. Barbara agreed without much argument, and even said that she knew she was too inexperienced to make much of a difference anyways. After that, Dick and Barbara became closer than ever. The two of them were good friends before, but sharing a common interest such as theirs brought them even closer.

Barbara unfortunately heard about her friend's demise from the news, and Gordon personally told Bruce that she was inconsolable for hours after hearing about it. She of course eventually came to the Manor, and the two of them silently grieved in each other's company. Ever since then, she came over a lot more, to either help Bruce cope or to help herself, he wasn't sure. Either way, her presence calmed him down a lot, and she became one of the few who was welcome in his home.

Barbara also made an appearance at Dick Grayson's funeral, and she even wrote a short speech in his memory. After the casket was lowered into the ground, and everyone else had left, the two bats remained. It was then that Barbara quietly requested that she be invited to the funeral for Robin, and Bruce could not deny her.

When the two arrived at the Mountain, there were several curious glances towards her, but they were far too upset to raise any questions. Batgirl had stayed towards the front with the younger heroes for the most part, and remained there until looking at the holographic image of her fallen friend became too much for her to handle. The question she asked was directed towards him, but he knew that in reality it was her who wanted to leave. He understood her pain, of course he did, but that didn't mean he was going to leave. "We should stay," he said quietly. "He deserves that much."

She nodded, and lowered her head. "I know. It's just... I miss him," she choked out. Batman put a steady hand on her shoulder, nodded in understanding, and returned his gaze to Robin's image.

Superman suddenly cleared his throat. "Robin was one of bravest heroes I have known, and his young age only emphasised his strength. His death will not go unheard: the criminal responsible for his death will be caught and brought to justice."

Wonder Woman nodded. "And the criminals of Earth will share our pain, as we will now push ourselves even harder to prevent such a tragedy from occurring again. Robin will not have died in vain. Our fight against crime will continue, and our fallen comrade shall always be at the back of our minds in this war against evil. Robin will not be forgotten."

As the Amazonian fell silent, another Leaguer spoke up and calmly made their own speech. This continued on until it was the Team's turn to speak for their teammate. Instead of talking about their friend's strengths in the field, they spoke of how he acted outside of costume. They recalled his quirky attitude, his cheery remarks, the endless puns, the butchered words, anything and everything that they could think of. By the time Miss Martian had finished her speech, Barbara was nearly sobbing.

Everyone looked at her uncertainly, and she quickly wiped the tears off her face. It was her turn to speak, she knew, and she held her head high before speaking. "Robin was the greatest ally to a lot of us, and more importantly, he was our greatest friend. In the field he was intelligent and strong- certainly a force to be reckoned with." She looked towards the hologram, sniffling. "And as one of Robin's closest friends outside of costume, I can say that he had one of the strongest wills that I have ever seen. He had suffered through things that would break anyone else, yet he still found a reason to smile. Robin... if he can hear me now, I hope that he knows how much he was appreciated, both with and without the mask."

There was a long moment of silence after these words, and they seemed to trigger more tears from both the Team and the Justice League. After a full minute of sobbing has passed, and everyone seemed to calm down, their expecting eyes were moved from Barbara to the Dark Knight. He didn't say a word thus far, and of course it was expected for him to say something in honor of his protege.

He looked at the hologram again, and felt his throat go dry. How could he possibly find words to say about his partner if he couldn't even find the courage to acknowledge his passing? He continued to stare, and all of a sudden, the image of a smirking acrobat flashed through his mind. He swallowed hard, and finally spoke up, "Robin is the greatest hero on this planet, surpassing several members of the League, including myself. He made it his mission to save everyone from suffering from similar losses that he experienced, and he became a symbol of hope that inspires people across the globe." His normally steady voice became higher as he spoke, and he knew it was only a matter of time before he would burst into tears himself. "He is the greatest hero, partner, and _son_ I will ever know." The use of present tense was not lost on the others, and several pitiful glances were thrown his way. He didn't care, couldn't bring himself to think about anything besides his fallen partner.

It was time.

Batman reached for his cowl and pulled it off with a quick yank, letting it fall to the ground. Next to him, Batgirl did the same, and her cowl joined his in the dirt. Her eyes shone with pained tears, and she seemed even more vulnerable without a mask. The other Leaguers followed suit, removing their masks, capes, weapons, or anything else that separated their hero identities from their civilian ones, fell to the ground with quiet thuds. Young Justice, though unfamiliar with the tradition, quickly mimicked their mentors' actions and removed their hero attire as well. This was their final act of respect, a sign of showing the dead that they not only cared about them as a hero, but as a civilian as well.

Bruce did nothing to hide his bare face, surprisingly. Normally, he would be the only one to not partake in the final act, but made an exception for Robin. No thoughts of anyone using his identity against him crossed his mind. If his protege trusted all of those who were present, then that was good enough for him. Even if someone _did_ reveal his identity, he couldn't bring himself to care. His only concern was Alfred, but the older man could take care of himself if necessary. If Bruce died after being revealed to be Batman, then as long as he would take Joker down with him, he wouldn't even flinch at Death. Someone else in the League would watch over Gotham while he was gone anyways, so would he care?

It wasn't like he was leaving anyone behind anyways. Not anymore.

 _ **Denial**_.

xXx (Three months after death) xXx

"Leave me alone, man! I didn't-" the teen was silenced as Batman shoved him against a brick wall, and he yelped.

"I have evidence that you are employed under the Joker, so talk! Tell me where he is, or I'll break the other one."

"The other wha- AH!" His wrist made a sick crunching noise, and he howled as he thrashed wildly in attempts to escape.

"Talk, _now_ ," the vigilante hissed.

"I don't know nothing! S-stop, please..."

He grit his teeth. "Wrong answer." He grabbed the man's other arm to repeat his earlier action, but was stopped short when a batarang sliced through the air and embedded itself into the wall next to them. His heart skipped a beat, and the first thought on his mind that it was Robin. However, logic pushed that thought away. Dick was gone.

And the only other person to have weapons like that was Batgirl. "I think he's telling the truth," the redhead said as she approached from behind.

"We can't know for sure," Batman threw back, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. His grasp on the teen slackened, and the boy fell to the ground with a whimper. "You shouldn't be out here. I told you that you're not allowed on patrol."

She scoffed. "You can't make me sit on the sidelines while you continue breaking the bones of every criminal you see. This isn't healthy."

"Hn." He glared down at the cowering teen and clicked his tongue. "This boy been working with people like the Joker for a year now, smuggling drugs and assisting with murder. He needs to be put behind bars where he belongs."

"Does he need to be in a full body cast too?"

Batman growled. "Go home Batgirl," he said icily, pulling his grappling gun out and aiming it at the rooftop above them. In seconds he was pulled off of the ground and shot into the air, landing on the roof in a crouch. As he straightened, the sound of another grapple gun told him he was being followed. "What did I just say?"

"Probably a heartfelt thank you, for holding you back from making a mistake you would regret," she replied smoothly, and he felt her eyes pierce into his back. "Look Bruce, I'm starting to get worried. We're _all_ getting worried. Everyone in the League and the Team are waiting for you to explode, Da- er, Commissioner Gordon is afraid you're close to crossing the line, Alfred thinks you're in danger of committing _suicide_." She came closer, resting a hesitant hand on his shoulder. "You need to talk to someone, maybe a professional? Taking out your grief like this isn't going to make you feel better."

"I don't need help, I need to find the Joker," he spat, shrugging her hand off. "And I _will_ hurt anyone who gets in my way." He turned around to give her a steely stare, conveying the message of 'don't try me.'

She took a cautious step back. Instead of looking shocked or frightened, she simply looked disappointed. "I'll stay out of your way Bruce," she said softly. "But just tell me this: what will you do when you find Joker?"

The memory of his son's beaten and lifeless body came to the surface, and his response came immediately, "I'll kill him," he swore in a low tone. "He will go through the pain Robin did."

With that he took off running, planning on continuing his tiring search of the clown's whereabouts. He knew that he didn't have to worry about the juvenile he left behind; Batgirl would take care of him. That gave him more time to visit other known members of Joker's gang, and that would bring him one step closer to ending his life.

 _ **Anger.**_

xXx (Six Months After Death) xXx

"Bruce, _no_."

"But it's completely possible, is it not? You can bend the fabric of time, which means you can go back to the past and alter events."

Barry Allen sat across from him in a cafe, looking anywhere but at Bruce's face. The speedster had been invited by the billionaire to accompany him to the shop, much to the former's surprise. Apparently, the entire League had been certain that the Bat permanently cut all ties to any of his civilian acquaintances, as he only appeared to interact with anyone with the cowl on. Even 'Brucie,' his playboy alter ego, had stopped going to social events. Bruce just couldn't handle it, knowing that there would of course be certain individuals who would give him condolences for his loss. Just thinking about the boy he had lost was enough to make him feel ill.

"I should have known that's the only reason why you would've call me..." Barry ran a hand over his face. "Look, I get it. Dick meant a lot to you. I understand that, but my answer is still no. Altering the events in a timeline can mess up so many things." He finally met his gaze. "Don't take this the wrong way, but if Dick died, he's meant to stay dead. Using any method to bring him back is just wrong."

Bruce's lips tightened into a fine line. "Dick wasn't meant to die," he argued.

"I know he wasn't. No one should die that young. He was only fourteen..." He shook his head, looking grieved. "But that doesn't mean that we have a right to bring him back. We can't play the role of a god and revive whoever we want when we want. That's not how it works."

"It'll only be Dick, just this one time," Bruce said quietly. "After that, we won't alter the timeline ever again."

"God, having this conversation with Wally was bad enough..." There was a short sigh as Barry stood up, placing a couple of singles on the table. "I can't bring him back Bruce, and neither can you. I know you don't like it, but he's dead, and he's going to stay that way. You'll move on eventually, you'll see." The speedster gave him a weak smile and just about disappeared, a slight breeze being the only thing left behind in his wake.

Bruce stared at the vacant seat in front of him, feeling his stomach drop. If Barry wasn't willing to change the past, then there really wasn't a way to bring his son back. All he wanted to do was see Dick again, even if it was one time. He would do anything to see the boy's smile again, to hear his laugh, to just _speak_ with him...

His shoulders slumped. The anger that used to boil the blood in his veins was almost totally cleared away now that the Joker was back in Arkham. The clown had been laying low in hopes of aggravating Batman enough to kill him, and the vigilante had to admit that it almost worked. If he didn't capture Joker sooner, then his growing darkness would have consumed him. After the madman was caught and thrown behind bars, a lot of the tension in Bruce disappeared, being replaced by depression once again. A part of him had hoped that once he had caught the Joker, he would wake up and find that it was all just a bad dream. His son would be alive and well, and he would have a second chance to protect him. Unfortunately, there was no such thing as second chances when it came to him.

He sighed and gulped down the rest of his coffee. Oh, what he would do to bring his child back...

 _ **Bargaining.**_

xXx (Eight Months After Death) xXx

The feeling that his stomach was always empty, the burning in the back of his eyes that wouldn't go away, those were two of the only things Bruce allowed himself to feel. Everything else became a meaningless blur. The Earth continued to rotate, the sun still gave the world its warmth, and nobody but him had the need to stop their daily activities. Life went on...

But it didn't for Dick.

Bruce stared out the window of the study, just staring. He couldn't bring himself to do much else. His routine consisted of waking up, calling into the office to let them know he wouldn't be there, locking himself in his study for hours at a time, and then going out for patrol. That was the one thing he didn't allow himself to give up on. Dick would have been very disappointed with him if he allowed the scum of the Earth to reign while he was gone. Bruce had keep others safe, that was the only way he could ever make up for what happened to his fallen partner.

"Master Bruce?" Alfred's voice sounded from outside his door. "Will you be eating dinner this evening?"

He didn't answer, choosing to instead stare some more. Scenes played inside of his mind, flashbacks from when Dick was still alive. The time the boy learned how to ride a bike, the leaf piles he used hide in so that he could jump out and scare people, the snowball fights he coerced his guardian into having, their weekly hikes up to the graveyard...

And now he had another grave to visit weekly, and he would be alone while doing so.

A clicking noise on his door alerted him that it was being unlocked, and he barely had time to blink before Alfred marched in. "Master Bruce, this is getting ridiculous! Not eating, not sleeping, making excuses to avoid work, it's not healthy!"

Bruce clenched his jaw. "Leave me alone Alfred."

"I cannot simply stand by and watch you destroy yourself! Your parents would not want-"

"Don't bring them into this!" He snapped. "That's not going to work on me, not this time."

Alfred sighed and looked down. "I understand you are grieving sir, but it would have hurt Master Dick to see you acting like this. He would want you to move on."

Bruce spun around, eyes narrowed in a deadly glare. "Move on? Alfred, how can I just move on and act like he never existed?" He curled his hands into fists. "Dick is-" his voice wavered. "-was, the most important person in my life. I can't just _move on_."

"I'm not suggesting that you forget about him," Alfred replied softly. "But ignoring your health isn't going to bring him back." He gave him another sad look before turning around. "I'll leave you to your devices for now, but I will intervene should this behavior continue."

Bruce watched as he left, and slowly turned around to go back to staring out the window again. His health didn't matter, not anymore. Nothing mattered, not with Dick being... not there. A dull pain started in his chest, and he lowered his head into his hands. He didn't remember this part of grieving his parents, he completely deleted all memory of it from his mind. It was like he was both completely numb, yet feeling the most excruciating pain. He felt nothing and everything at once.

"I miss you, kiddo," he whispered to the empty room.

 _ **Depression.**_

xXx (A Year After Death) xXx

Patrol was starting to become his favorite time of the day, just because there was no one to give him pitied looks, no one to comment on his declining health, and nobody ever offered him any condolences. The criminals he hunted were far too afraid of him to do something stupid like bring up Robin's death, and there wasn't anyone else he saw during the night who could comment on his loss.

Tonight, he was particularly brutal in the injuries he dished out, and several low class criminals were sent to the hospital in full body casts. Batman needed a way to get rid of his pent up emotions, and taking it out on Gotham scrum worked wonders. Unfortunately, word of his bad mood spread out fairly quickly, and most lawbreakers scrambled back into their homes to wait for the storm to pass. After an hour passed without finding anything more than a litterer, Batman growled and stomped off towards where he parked the Batmobile. Fine, he would just go to neighboring cities and take his anger out there. Either way, there would be criminals put behind bars. Who cared if they weren't exactly in his jurisdiction? Criminals were criminals.

As Crime Alley came into view, Batman allowed himself to think about the date. A year ago on that day was when he lost everything. No one, not even he himself, ever imagined that the loss of his partner would effect him so much. He had dealt with loss before on many occasions, but this one had gotten to him like no other. Dick's death got a response out of him that rivaled the one his parents' deaths received. Some could even say that this new loss hit him harder than theirs. Losing one's parents was the equivalent of losing the entire world, but nothing, _nothing_ , could compare to losing one's child. Bruce's biggest regret was not ever telling Dick how much he meant to him. He died without the knowledge of how much he mattered, and that was worse than his actual death itself.

To die and know that you're loved is one thing, but dying without that knowledge is another.

The Batmobile finally caught his eye and he stopped in his tracks. He blinked once, and the image didn't disappear, like he expected to. He blinked a second time, and then squinted at the scene before him. "Unbelievable," he breathed. A small, raven haired boy knelt on the ground next to the car, three tires surrounding him as he worked to remove the final one. The moment he caught sight of Batman, the tool fell out of his hand and clattered onto the ground. Batman barely noticed, he was more aware of the striking similarities between the kid and the one he lost. Black hair, mischievous eyes, a knack of getting into trouble...

No, he wasn't thinking something like that, he scolded himself. He _couldn't_ have been thinking about something like that. That would just be _wrong_.

"Uhm..." the child scrambled backwards. "Please don't hurt me," he said, holding his hands up. "I didn't mean anything by it, honest." His eyes were wide with pure innocence, something that made Batman even more interested. "I just needed the money... Please..."

That did it. That was what made his walls come crashing down. This boy was not a common thief, he wasn't even a bad person. Just from what he heard so far, Batman could deduce that he only attempted to steal to fend for himself. While that was usually something that he frowned at, the fact was that this boy was a _child_. No child should have to do such things to take care of himself. "Where are your parents?" He demanded, trying to make his voice sound kinder.

The boy looked down. "I don't have any. I had a mom, but she died."

Batman stared at him long and hard. The boy was smart if he could get past the Batmobile's defense systems, he had no family, and judging by his appearance, he was strong for his age and size. If the child stayed in that environment, he would either die or become a dangerous criminal. But under the proper tutelage, the boy could become a respectable hero. All Batman had to do was... No. He couldn't do that, it would be wrong and would totally insult Dick's memory. But then again, Dick always wanted everyone to be happy, and would want his mentor to move on and find a way to enjoy the rest of his life. If taking in a child who needed guidance was what he needed, then he couldn't see Dick being upset by it.

He wasn't even replacing him. No one could ever take his place, after all.

He made his decision. "You're going to help me put these back on, and then you're getting in the car."

The boy gulped. "Okay. Does this mean you're taking me to jail?" He sounded fearful, and the youth in his voice only gave him more points in his favour.

"Not exactly." He rumbled. "You need a home, something of which I can provide."

The boy's eyes widened. "You mean, you- You'll let me... _live with you_?"

"If you want."

"Yes!" He cried out, and jumped up in the air. Seconds later, his face turned red with embarrassment. "Sorry. It's just... I'm a really big fan, and I always wanted to meet you, and I can't believe that you would even offer-" he stopped all of a sudden. "Er, my name's Jason." He gave him a hopeful look.

"I'll properly introduce myself later." His eyes narrowed in warning. "And you'll have to keep my identity a secret of course."

"I know!" Jason said, grinning at him. "I'll keep your secret with me even to the grave, I promise. God, I can't believe I'm actually going to have a house, and it'll be _your_ house too. This is so cool!"

The grave comment made Batman stiffen, but he didn't address it. "Keep your voice down," he said instead, and knelt down to start putting the tires on. "And come help me."

"Right. Sorry." He blushed again, but his smile never wavered. "This is just so exciting."

Batman felt the corner of his mouth rise from Jason's giddiness, but forced himself to keep a straight face. Already he was starting to become attached to the kid, which would be a problem if his history death continued. Damn, this was one hell of an impulsive decision...

But if this one was anything like his decision to take in Dick, he didn't think that he would regret it.

 _ **Acceptance**_.

xXx

 **AN: Denial: Usually filled with shock, numbness, and a feeling that life has become meaningless.**

 **Anger: Those who are mourning will feel angry about the situation, and will lash out at anyone and everyone, including friends. This usually happens because the earlier shock has worn off, and it's difficult to cope with the loss. The despair is hidden under a layer of frustration and anger.**

 **Bargaining: Wishing that we are only experiencing a nightmare that we'll soon wake from, making deals with a higher power to bring someone back, and thinking of what could have been done to prevent a tragedy are all part of bargaining.**

 **Depression: Feeling as though nothing matters in life anymore, and nothing will ever get better. It's withdrawing from life, isolating ourselves from the rest of society, and feeling as though we're alone in our despair. (If anyone ever feels depressed, please message me.)**

 **Acceptance: While we can never truly stop grieving our loved ones, we eventually learn to live with it. Instead of denying any feelings, we embrace them and find ways to help with the pain. We accept what has happened, and we move on.**


	3. Replacement

**AN: Short chapter.**

xXx

"Nice work today Batgirl, and welcome to the Team." Aqualad gave her a warm smile, which the other Team members mirrored.

The girl blushed as the teens made their way back into the Mountain, and couldn't fight back a pleased grin. After months of training and only taking simple tasks on patrol, she had finally earned her title as a proud member of the Team. "Thank you so much for letting me join you guys. It means a lot to me."

Kid Flash grinned. "Dudes, did you see her do that twisty kick thing? That was the coolest thing ever! And she hacked into their systems like it was nothing! Even Rob couldn't-" his smile faltered. "Er... you did great."

Batgirl forced a smile and nodded, glancing in the direction of the Cove. She wanted to tell Robin about her success today, and so she would make sure to visit his projection. Then again, she also wished to speak to Dick again, so a trip to Wayne Manor's graveyard would be in order as well. Either way, it had been a while since she last spoke to her deceased friend. Of course Dick had no way of holding an actual conversation, but like most people, Barbara found comfort in visiting her friend's resting place.

The Team arrived inside the mission briefing room, where they were met with the sight of several awaiting Leaguers, as well as a small child. "Batgirl!" A colorful blur appeared in front of her, causing her to blink. A black haired boy skidded to a halt before he could crash into her, a brilliant grin resting on his face. "Look, Batman brought me to the Mountain! Isn't this so cool?!"

She blinked again. "Robin, what are you doing here? I thought you were grounded from your costume for at least another few days."

Jason beamed at her. "Batman saw how well I was doing in school and decided to unground me. He said he was coming here for hero business, and when I asked to come with he actually said yes!" He threw a fist in the air to show his excitement. "This place is so awesome! He showed me around, and I saw the common room, the training area, the living quarters..." his face grew somber, and he picked at the R symbol on his chest. "He even took me to the Memorial Cove, and he talked to Robin for a little bit... I wish I could have met him, you know? Just seeing him is inspiring enough. I couldn't imagine actually being able to talk to him."

Barbara's eyes softened, and she put a hand on his shoulder. She was aware of the hero idolization the kid had for the former Boy Wonder, but it was difficult for him to obtain any information about him since everyone thought the subject was taboo. "I think you would have liked him. He was always getting into trouble, just like another bird I know. You two would be an unstoppable pranking force."

In her mind's eye, she recalled the times Dick dragged her into mayhem, and they used to pull pranks, sneak into forbidden areas of the Manor, and tear apart the English language. One particular memory of painting the Batmobile pink came to mind, and it became impossible to hide a smirk. Oh, the things they were able to accomplish...

Robin grinned. "Really? That's so cool- that he was like me, I mean. Maybe we could have been friends or something." He prodded at his hologlove. "I heard he was one of the greatest hackers ever. Is that true, or was Batman exaggerating? He does that sometimes."

Gosh, Jason was so adorable sometimes. "That's was almost no computer that could keep him out. He was a genius!"

"Wow. I hope I can be that good someday," he said quietly, shuffling his feet. "I mean, I'm still a beginner and all, but I don't think I'll ever be that good." Before Batgirl could argue, he caught sight of the other Team members. Instantly, his eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open. "I know you guys! Kid Flash, you were one of the first sidekicks ever! And Miss Martian, you're one of the greatest telepaths!"

Kid stared at him, and so did the others. Barbara felt a knot form in her stomach as she saw their shocked expressions turn into those of rage. Oh no... "You're not Robin." Kid Flash narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What are you doing dressing up like him?"

Jason's recoiled at the hostile tone, and looked at Batgirl for help. "Well, uh-"

"Robin is my new protege." Batman suddenly appeared at the boy's side, fixing the teens with a challenging stare. "He will start training with the Team after today, and I thought it would best if he was introduced beforehand."

"What, a new protege?!" Wally gaped at him. "You replaced Robin?"

Connor growled. "Well you can't make us replace him. The only Robin allowed on this Team is the first one."

"Yeah!" Artemis crossed her arms. "And who do you think you are, giving Robin's name to some kid?! You can't just give his title away like that!"

At this point, Jason was almost in tears. Barbara had the urge to hug him, but knew that she would only be pushed away. Damn the bat males and their pride.

"This isn't up for debate. Robin _will_ be a part of the Team, and you _will_ include him in training, as well as many future missions. This discussion is over." Batman's eyes narrowed in warning, and he spun around with a whip of his cape. "Robin, we are needed in Gotham. Batgirl, you may join us if you wish." Without another word, he marched over to the Zeta Tube. Jason barely hesitated as he followed, hoping to get out of the hostile area as soon as possible.

Barbara waited until they were gone before turning to face her friends. "That was totally uncalled for. Robin did nothing to deserve that kind of treatment. He was so excited to get to meet you all, and all you did was make him feel worthless!"

"He's trying to replace the original Robin!" Wally exclaimed. "What kind of friends would we be if we let this new kid take his name like that?!"

"This Robin is simply continuing the old one's legacy so that the name never dies out. We _want_ the name Robin to be remembered by everyone! What's so bad about there being a new one?" The Team did not look so certain, and their attitude only made her angrier. "Look, the new Robin is a good kid, and he doesn't deserve your bias against him. It wasn't him that chose the name, it was Batman. If you want to be mad at anyone, let it be him." She turned around with a huff. "I'm going to visit a friend in Gotham. I hope that when I come back, you'd have realized how stupid you are all being."

With that, she quickly took her own exit, the Zeta Tube announcing her departure.

xXx

The cold wind bit at Barbara's face as she trudged up the hill. The hood of her jacket protected her ears from the chill, but her nose and cheeks were left to suffer through. Alfred argued that she should have brought a warmer coat with her, but she was too agitated to take any more time away from the graveyard. An undying sense of guilt haunted her whenever she didn't visit her friend for long periods of time, and since she was the only one of the bats with the guts to acknowledge his death by visiting, her trips to the property had to be frequent. It wouldn't be right if no one ever visited, after all.

A couple of headstones came into view, mostly belonging to the deceased members of the Wayne family. When she spotted Thomas and Martha's graves, she paused and gave them a nod of respect before continuing. It took almost no time for her to spot the three Graysons, and she lowered herself onto her knees in front of the newest one. "Hey Dick."

She lowered her hood, feeling as though it wouldn't be respectful to keep it on at such a time. The wind took the opportunity to rip through her hair, sending the red stands into the air and off of her shoulders. A small part of her brain acknowledged that it was going to be a pain to brush through it later, but she decided to worry about it some other time. "Sorry that I haven't been around lately. School and patrol have been keeping me busy, especially with the college classes I'm taking on top of that. Do you have any idea how difficult a college level Criminal Justice class is? You would think being the daughter of the Commissioner would make it easy, right? Wrong. Ugh."

The sun was setting now, and she knew that her visit would be a short one. "I remember how you used to being smiles to everyone's faces without even trying. It's weird though, because you were such a depressed kid. I wish I knew how to do that." She sighed, and her breath appeared in front of her like fog. A shiver shook her entire body, but she ignored it. "If it wasn't obvious, I still miss you. I don't think anything will change that..."

She trailed off into silence, the familiar feeling of grief forming in her chest. Her body was shaking like a leaf from the cold now, and as the sun disappeared from the horizon she decided to wrap up. "Hey, you remember that question you asked me? It was a couple of days before you and Bruce left." She sniffed, feeling a cold coming on. Damn the weather. "Ack. Sorry, I think I'm getting sick. Anyways, remember that? I can't believe you would ask such a mind blowing question like that and then decide to go after the Joker on your own. I was mad at you for that for a long time, and I guess I still kinda am, but I can't exactly be angry at you for dying. You couldn't have seen that coming." Oh great, she was rambling now. It was definitely time to go. "I have to leave now, but I'll be back soon, promise. See you later Short Pants."

She pushed herself back to her feet, and immediately her pins and needles attacked her feet. Sitting in that position cut off the blood flow from her legs, and she was awarded with her limbs falling asleep. Great. "The things I do for you.." she mumbled, rubbing her arms to fight against the cold. "And you had the nerve to call Wallace your best friend. I don't see him running through the cold to visit you. This gives me more points in my favor, right?" She smiled weakly. "Okay, I really have to go now, before I freeze to dea-"

There was a shuffling noise behind her, and she spun around with her arms raised in a defensive position. "Who's there?"

She was met with empty space.

"... Either I'm totally losing it, or that was some weird animal that's immune to the weather." She put her arms down, and caught sight of something draped across one of the headstones. "Hm?" Upon closer inspection she discovered that it was black, fuzzy coat. She curiously came closer and saw a note attached to it.

 _'Don't get sick,'_ was all it said. The penmanship was sloppy, making the message almost unintelligible.

"Um, okay?" The jacket was too warm to pass up, but she was a little uneasy about its origins. "Coats don't just fall from the sky..." The paranoia that came with being a vigilante tried to butt in, but she ignored it. "Oh whatever. It's not like it'll kill me or anything." The garment was slipped over her arms, and zipped up at the front. While it certainly was baggy, it did its job and blocked out the aggressive wind. The hood was yanked over her head, which gave her ears and a good portion of her forehead protection from the cold. A familiar scent hung around the coat but she ignored it, deciding that Bruce must have somehow deduced that she would be there that night, and left her an item of warmth to insure she didn't get hypothermia. The smell of the jacket could have been from one of his colognes or something.

White flakes of snow began to fall from the sky as she took her leave, and she smiled to herself. Winter was Dick's favorite season, and to remember him, she would be teaching Jason how to use the weather for pranking over the holidays. She honestly couldn't wait.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice the figure leaning against a dead tree to her left, black bangs covering bright blue eyes as he watched her go. He was now without a coat, but he could care less if he caught an illness from the chill. A weary smile appeared on his face, and he reached a hand out to let a snowflake fall onto his skin. "At least I have _one_ person I can rely on," he mused with a humorless chuckle. The snowfall picked up, and he disappeared into the night before the incoming blizzard could send death after him again.


	4. Death's Cheater

Barbara came towards the Clock Tower, exhausted from the amount of work she had going on. She had started taking a college level Criminal Justice class (much to her father and Bruce's displeasure), and having nightly patrols on top of that made napping the only thing she had to look forward to during her spare time. It wasn't as though she disliked her schedule. In fact, she adored being able to work in both sides of the justice realm. Training to join the police force while also keeping the city safe at night brought her immense joy, and she couldn't think of doing anything else with her life. The only thing she disliked about her schedule was the small amount of hours sleep hours she received. If she wasn't such a good student, she would ditch class to get an hour or two to herself.

Well, one of her afternoon classes had been cancelled, so she now had a great opportunity to get some needed shut eye. She smiled slightly as she pulled her ring of keys out of her pocket. It was Friday, which also meant that she only had patrols to worry about over the weekend. With no classes, the amount of sleep she would be getting was definitely something to look forward to.

Instead of parties, romantic pursuing, or any other activity most teens looked forward to, Barbara only had sleeping. Gosh, her life was stressful.

Shaking her head at herself, Barbara inserted her key into the lock and twisted it, but it refused to budge. Wait a second... It was already unlocked! She froze in her tracks, switching from civilian mode to vigilante mode. Barbara _always_ locked her door before going into the city, no matter what state of exhaustion she was in. There was something up, she decided, focusing on the keyhole and finally noticing tiny scratch marks on its surface. Those definitely didn't come from her key. In fact, it looked like someone picked her lock.

Someone broke into her house.

 _'Who exactly do I call in this situation? The police or Bruce?'_ She frowned. _'Well, they were somehow able to bypass my security, so I doubt I'm dealing with a normal burglar.'_ If someone had broken into her home, the security system she created for would have at least notified her about it. Since that didn't occur, they must have been able to get past her systems. _'But who? The only criminal with respectable hacking knowledge would be the Riddler, and he's in Arkham. Batmam definitely knows how to get past my security, but he already has a key... Wait,"_ she rolled her eyes. _"Jason probably thought it would be funny to freak me out. That kid is going to going to be the death of me.'_

She pushed the door open and walked inside, looking around for the little brat. "Jason, you can come out now. I know it's you already, so joke's on you." There was no reply. Sighing, she closed the door behind her and began to search through the house. Knowing Jason, he would be waiting for her to go past his hiding place so that he could jump out and scare her. She certainly wasn't in the mood, but decided to let him have his fun. The poor boy didn't have much entertainment in his house, after all.

She entered the kitchen and flipped a light switch on, illuminating the room in a bright light. Huh, no sign of him there... Wait. ' _The fridge is slightly open,'_ she noted, making her way over to it. She opened it up all the way and peeked inside, taking note that the fruit salad she had stored away was missing a good portion _. 'Jason doesn't eat healthy unless Alfred literally forces himself to. Even then, he definitely doesn't like bananas, which I specifically added to keep him out of it.'_

It wasn't Jason in her house.

"Okay, creep, show yourself," she called out, pulling out her canister of pepper spray. "Come out now, before I call the police." She used the back of her foot to close the refrigerator. "Did you hear me?! Come out, thief!"

The light in her kitchen flickered off, and a shadow appeared in the doorway. "I'm not a thief," the figure said lowly. Barbara lowered her pepper spray, narrowing her eyes slightly. Why did that man's voice sound so familiar?

"Then please explain why some of my food is missing, and why you chose to break into my place without permission?"

There was a pause. "I didn't want to break in," the stranger explained unhappily, "but I didn't want to risk anyone recognizing me if I waited for you outside." He shrugged. "As for the food... You haven't minded if I helped myself before, so I assumed that wouldn't have changed."

That was an odd thing to say for a stranger, unless they knew each other from somewhere. "Are you... a cape?" She asked with a confused frown, purposely avoiding using the word 'Leaguer' just in case he wasn't aware of that side of her. That was the only explanation she could come up with, but it didn't quite add up. A Leaguer would have shown up in the Batcave if they needed a Gotham hero's assistance, and no one besides the Flash and Batman really knew how to hack. She would have recognized Bruce's voice from a mile away, so she could easily cross him off the list, and Flash's costume was far too bright to allow him to hide in the shadows. Who was he?

"I am _not_ part of the League," he hissed, shoulders tensing as though she called him the most offensive word in her vocabulary. That irritated her even more than the actual break in.

"Look, I'm not in the mood for a game of Twenty Questions," she snapped, glaring at him. "So do me a favor and just tell me who you are."

He didn't move for a minute, and she could feel his eyes piercing into her very soul. God, it was so much like Bruce's batglare that she was so close to thinking they were related. After a few seconds of silence, the mysterious figure spoke, "If I told you, I doubt you would believe me."

"Why's that?"

He shifted his weight slightly. "It's been a while since you've seen me..."

She squinted at him, trying to put together his identity. It was a difficult task because of the way he practically melted into the shadows, but a familiar air hung around him that she couldn't shake off. "Well, how long has it been since we've seen each other?"

He sighed. "I'm not sure. Over a year, I guess. I've been purposely avoiding looking at the date."

That wasn't very helpful. She glanced down at her watch and sighed as she noted the time. If she couldn't get rid of this guy soon, she wouldn't have enough time to take a nap before patrol. "Well just tell me and we'll determine if you can be believed. I have other things to do, believe it or not." A glance at the clock behind him revealed that most of her nap time was taken up by their exchange, and she would be expected in the Bat Cave soon. Damn it.

"I see you finally got him to let you go on patrol..." he muttered, sounding distant. "I hope you've been staying whelmed while in the field. You're the last person who deserves to be killed."

She scowled. "Look, mister, it's none of your business if I'm whelmed or-" something clicked in her mind the moment she said the word, and her mouth fell open as she processed its meaning. "I only know one person who would use that word..." She whispered. "D-Dick?"

That couldn't be true, part of her, the logical side, argued. Batman was there when the building exploded, and was the one to bring his body back home. As the World's Greatest Detective, the man would not make such a mistake, especially when it came to the life of his son. But then again, this stranger's voice _did_ sound like Dick's, even if it was a lot deeper. Even though it wasn't probable that he was alive, it wasn't completely impossible.

The figure in the doorway lowered his head, and his shaggy hair fell into his face. "It's me," he said quietly.

Eyes filled with confused tears, Barbara slowly made her way to the other side of the room, stopping just a foot in front of the man. "Prove it," she said, clutching her pepper spray tightly. "I want to believe you, but I need you to prove it."

A flash of white told her that she was awarded with a quick smile of amusement. "I see he managed to brainwash you into being suspicious about everyone you see. I'm not sure if I should be disappointed or not." He slowly brought his hand onto the wall and flipped the switch up, bringing light to the room once more.

The pepper spray fell to the ground with a clatter.

There was no denying who he was. The angular face, though thin, was familiar, as was the raven hair and bright blue eyes. Everything about him belonged to the Dick she remembered, the boy who she spent hours thinking about with teary eyes. The first Robin stood before her, just out of arms reach, and it was so _impossible_ , so unthinkable that her brain literally couldn't process his presence.

He tilted his head at her. "You're shorter than I remember."

She actually laughed at that, a choked giggle that made her slap her hand over her mouth. Dick... Dick was _alive,_ standing in the middle of her kitchen, and making jokes like nothing even happened. All of a sudden, she found herself right in front of him, arms wrapped around him in a desperate hug. "You jerk," she whispered, closing her eyes to stop the flow of tears. "You're such an ass, deciding to just go and die and leave the rest of us behind... And then you just... I don't..."

Dick hesitantly returned the hug. "Come on Babs, you know that's not fair."

That damned nickname made her sob even harder. "I _don't_ know, actually," she mumbled, hiccuping. "I don't even know if you actually died or not."

He stiffened. "I died on that day, Barbara. Don't doubt that even for a second."

She frowned and stepped back, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "But how? How could you have died if you're standing here right now? No one can just stop being dead, not even you."

His face went even paler, if that was possible. "You're not supposed to, but I guess I bent the rule a little." He gave her an odd look. "Why? Would you rather me continue to be dead?" He made it sound as though he was joking, but something about his face made him look totally serious.

"No," she said firmly. "God, no. You were my best friend, how could you even ask that?" She stared at him, long and hard. "You're actually here right? This isn't some hallucination that my exhausted brain came up with?"

He shrugged. "Hell if I know. If I'm your hallucination, I know just as much as you."

She giggled again. "Ever so helpful, Boy Blunder."

His eyes flashed. "Don't call me that."

The sudden scorn towards one of her old nicknames startled her. The way he acted was starting to resemble a startled animal, Barbara realized. If she said the wrong thing, it was possible that he would take off running, leaving her behind to question if the encounter was even real. She could not let that happen, not after mourning him for so long.

"Okay, no nicknames. Whatever makes you happy, I guess." She pointed to the space behind him. "But can we continue talking in the living room? I've been studying all day, and I would love to rest for a minute."

He took a step backwards. "I should leave anyways."

She ignored him, grabbing him by the sleeve and tugging him along in her journey to the couch. "If I'm being honest with you, you look like you just crawled out of your grave. Seriously, when's the last time you slept?" He didn't reply, but allowed for her to drag him to the couch. She released her hold on him and plopped down on a seat, patting the spot next to her. He seemed to understand, as he awkwardly mimicked the action. "So what's up with you? You're acting like I'm going to eat you." His actions had been so hesitant, and his face was devoid of the warmth it used to radiate. This man had the look down, but he did not have the act. She would have to take a blood sample just to be sure he was the real deal.

"The past couple of months haven't been a walk in the park for me, so excuse me if I'm a bit apprehensive," he snipped, looking away.

She frowned. What exactly could he have experienced during the past couple of months that would make him so uneasy? She wanted to ask, but figured that it would only agitate him further. Sigh. She would have to treat him like fragile glass in order to get anything out of him. "I'm sorry. I have no idea what happened, but I can see that it hurt you." She glanced at the time on her clock and saw that she only had half an hour until Bruce was expecting her at the Batcave. "So what did the big bad Bat say about your return? I bet he cried a little, didn't he?" She smiled teasingly.

Instead of laughing, or looking embarrassed like she expected, his entire body went rigid at the mention of his guardian. "I haven't spoken to him. You're the only one who knows that I'm alive."

Her eyes went wide. "What? Dick, I understand if you're not up to talking to anyone else, but Bruce has to be told! He took your death the hardest, and we can't even mention your name without him shutting off. We need to go see him, now." She stood up and glared at him, only to recoil once she was met with a steely glare of his own.

"I am _not_ telling him," he hissed, standing up as well. She took an involuntary step backwards; his stance showed someone who would lash out at any given moment, of someone _dangerous_. "And you're not going to tell him either!"

Barbara bit her lip, finally giving him a scrutinizing once over. His clothes were worn out and torn in several places, he had a black eye, and a long, ugly cut went down from one side of his chin to the opposite side of his collarbone. His eyes were dull, lacking the everlasting sense of excitement they held in his youth, and were instead cold and calculating. He was also much taller, as he pointed out earlier, having had a growth spurt during the time he was away. It pained Barbara to see her friend come back looking so different. Yes, her friend was apparently alive, but he wasn't the same one that died.

"What happened to you, Dick?" She asked mournfully. "And why won't you talk to Bruce? I thought he would be the first you would tell."

"Death changes a person," he said darkly, "but not as much as coming back and finding out that you didn't matter as much as you thought."

"What..." it suddenly clicked. "You mean Jason, don't you?"

He chuckled, a hallow and dangerous sound that made her shiver. "Jason Todd, Batman's second Robin, and also Bruce Wayne's adopted _son_. Did I get anything wrong?" She remained silent, too shocked by the amount of malice in his voice. "Bruce not only replaced me as Robin, an identity _I_ created in honor of my parents, but he also replaced me as his kid. Bruce never fully adopted me, always argued against it, but then this kid comes along..." He sneered. "I should have known I didn't actually mean anything to him. I was a fool for believing otherwise."

She shook her head desperately. "Bruce adopted Jason because he didn't want to make the same mistake as he did with you."

"Hmph. Didn't realize I'm a _mistake_ now."

"That's not-"

He sighed, "I should've realized you would defend him. You're already becoming the perfect soldier, aren't you? What a disappointment." He straightened his shoulders and turned away. "Well, I'm out of here. Don't tell anyone I'm alive, or you'll seriously regret it."

The threat made her blood run cold. Something was either seriously wrong with Dick, or this was an imposter. There was something about the way he spoke that made her lean towards the former, because what kind of imposter would bother to learn how to butcher a language? And why would they waste their time just _talking_ to her? "Dick, wait." She came in front of him and put her hands on his shoulders. "I know you don't believe that Bruce missed you, but please know that _I_ did. We were- are- best friends. I grieved for you."

He stared at her with those calculating eyes, and after a few tense seconds, he relaxed. "That's why I came here... I figured that if anyone still cared, then it would be you." He wrinkled his nose. "Or Wally, but we both know he can't keep a secret."

She snickered and gladly took the change of subject. "Wally would have burst into tears and suffocated you with hugs. If Artemis didn't know you were in their house before, his blubbering would have caught her attention."

"And Artemis would probably think I'm a zombie and try to decapitate me with an arrow," he mused with a smirk. Just as she was mentally patting herself on the back for cheering him up, the smirk faded away. "Wait, Arty and Wally are living together?"

She paused before answering, "Yeah, they just moved in with each other last month or so."

All color drained from his face. "They... moved in with each other..." his eyes flickered with panic. "How old are they?"

Uh oh. That did not seem like a good reaction. "Eighteen, both of them. Artemis just had her birthday, and Wally is turning nineteen soon."

He groaned and ran a shaky hand through his hair. "And that makes me...?"

She saw where this was going. "Sixteen," she said quietly. "Dick, you've been dea- gone for a little over two years now."

"Two years," he repeated slowly. He looked positively ill now. "I..."

"You need to sit down," she said, alarmed with his sudden change in attitude. "You look like you're about to fall over." She gently pushed him back towards the sofa, and he obediently sat, thankfully.

"I need to go," he muttered absent mindedly. "I have things to do."

"Not in your condition," she argued, resting a hand against his forehead, which burned with fever. "I don't know how you even managed to come here, but I'm telling you right now that you won't last much longer on your own." He opened his mouth to protest, but she beat him to it. "At least stay the night, please? If not for your own sake, do it for mine? I-I don't think I could live with myself if you came back, only to die again because you were being too stubborn."

"... Fine," he rasped, slumping against the cushions. "But if you so much as hint to anyone that I'm alive..."

"I know, I know. You're secret is safe with me." The clock behind her chimed, and she winced. "If I leave, will you still be here when I come back?"

He looked at her through half open eyes. "Mm. Perhaps... Won't make any promises." His head fell to the side as he fought off unconsciousness. "Just... don't tell Bats..." and then he was out like a light.

Barbara swallowed, glancing outside of the Clock Tower. To tell, or not to tell? Memories of how Bruce, the League, and the Team mourning the fallen Robin surfaced in her brain, and she knew that she wouldn't ever be forgiven if any of them found out that she kept this a secret. However, she thought, staring at the silent form of her friend, Dick wasn't in his right mind, and her betrayal would likely set him off on a path of destruction. If she went against her word and told anyone he was alive, the distrust he would have with her would eat her alive. No, she wouldn't tell anyone, not yet anyways.

With a resigned sigh, Barbara left the Tower.

xXx

A **N: Romance will not get in the way of the main plot, I assure you. The pairing of this story won't become an actual thing until the last few chapters.**

 **I hope I don't have to clarify what pairing I chose. xD**


	5. Thin Ice

_Green liquid surrounded him at all sides as his eyes flew open for the first time. Confusion evolved into pure terror when the oxygen he wanted in his lungs was instead filled by the same strange water he was submerged in. There was tight fabric wrapped around most of his body, making movement difficult. Instinctive panic made him thrash out randomly, trying to avoid potentially drowning. His bare feet brushed against the floor beneath him, and he pushed himself off of it and into the open air. People circled around, letting out unintelligible shouts as they stared at him in alarm. The colors around him blurred together, and each sound made his ears ring painfully. His throat burned from the liquid he inhaled, the wrappings covering his body made it hard to breathe, the people surrounding him radiated a readiness for battle..._

 _Did they want to hurt him? Not good. He was far too outnumbered; he had to flee._

 _Letting out a warning screech, the nameless boy surged forward and towards the gap leading outside. He could find cover in the foliage away from the cave, and could hide there until he recovered enough to move to a safer area. For now, his immediate injuries needed to be healed._

 _The other humans surrounding him let out garbled shouts, and one of them attempted to raise their arms at him in an attack. Without much prior thought, he twisted out of the way and retaliated, knocking the man to the ground. A snarl broke past his lips as the animalistic need to shed blood rose deep inside of him, but an image in his brain stopped him. In his mind, he could see a half man, half bat glaring at him, compelling him to hold back. The frightened boy halted in his tracks immediately, though he did not know why. Who was that creature? Who was_ _ **he**_ _?_

 _A loud noise snapped him out of his puzzlement, and he turned his head just in time to witness a tiny silver sphere fly past him. 'Bullet,' his brain labelled the object. 'Deadly. Must flee.' The boy acknowledged this by sprinting towards the gap he had noticed before, and when he was close enough, he sprung forward to give himself more momentum._

 _Something_ _ **broke**_ _as he came through the gap, and shards of a clear object flew out of the gap with him, digging into areas of his skin and creating a stinging sensation where he made contact. 'Glass...'_

 _His feet never touched the ground, like he expected. He instead found himself tumbling through the air, the people above him slowly disappearing. He was falling... falling..._

Dick jerked forward with a startled shout, managing to knock himself off balance and fall onto the carpeted floor. The sound of his own animalistic shouts echoed in his ears, making him. Why, why did he have to be plagued by the same nightmare, over and over again? Was he destined to drive himself insane? Well the vividness of his revival was new, but it still wasn't pleasant. He would rather die again than have to put up with his demons any longer.

The chime of a clock made him jump, but he forcefully relaxed after some mental scolding. A quick glance at the digits revealed that it was eleven at night, not too late to wrap up what he had started the night before. The only problem was that Barbara was expecting to see him when she returned...

He snorted. Why should he care about her feelings? She was just as bad as the others, treating his death like nothing but a statistic, replacing him with the demonic child the first chance she got. But then again, she _did_ visit his grave, and by the sound of things, she visited often. If anyone could say they mourned for him during his time away, it would be her. And if that was the case, then maybe he could stay with her during his operations, maybe even convince her to assist him...

No, he decided with a resigned sigh, Barbara was already brainwashed into sharing the big man's warped morals. She was far too gone for his plans to make any sense to her, and she would think him to be evil. Unfortunately, he would have to work alone, which also included staying in the same building as her. It was a mistake for him to have come to her at all, but he was exhausted and it seemed like a logical choice at the time. Now that his mind was clearer, he knew that any hopes of forging an alliance with Batgirl was an idiotic fantasy.

He moved towards a closed window, but hesitated. Barbara was his best friend in his last life. He would be dishonoring who he used to be by leaving her without any answers. Not knowing if he was indeed alive or not would slowly drive her nuts, and there was a huge probability of her going to the old man with her knowledge. _That_ couldn't happen.

Hm. He just had to figure out how to keep her from worrying over him. Since she seemed a little suspicious about his identity, it wouldn't hurt to prove himself while he was at it. But how?

The gleam of needle resting on Barbara's work desk caught his eye, and he smirked. Perfect.

xXx

"Civilians found this body lying around last night. We waited until we were sure it was important before contacting you." Commissioner Gordon smiled at the female vigilante present. "It's nice to see you again Batgirl, it's been a while since your..." he blinked at Batman. "Uh, whatever he is to you, brought you along."

Robin snickered as Batgirl smiled awkwardly and stuttered a reply. It was _hilarious_ when she had to interact with her father while in costume. "Hey Commish," he greeted cheerfully, catching Barbara's subtle glare. "How's the family?"

"Focus," Batman snapped as he looked up from the sprawled body in front of him. "Save the small talk for later."

"Yes sir..." Jason mumbled, smiled wiped clean off of his face. He was never allowed to have any fun... and to watch Barbara squirm while her father talked about her to her face would have been the greatest!

Gordon gave him a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry kid, he was like that with the last one too, at first. He'll warm up to you eventually." A flicker of grief crossed his eyes, but it faded away quickly. Robin mentally huffed, scowling; even the _Commissioner_ needed to compare him to the Golden Boy? Sure, he sounded like a great guy, but Jason was his own Robin! He didn't need to follow Richard's footsteps completely.

"This man used to work for the Joker," Batman said quietly, ignoring the change of conversation. "Look, there's a 'J' shaped scar carved into his hand."

" _Used_ to?" Batgirl echoed, staring at the body in hopes of coming to the same conclusion her mentor did. "How do you know that?"

"The scar itself means that he was either killed by Joker, or he was a higher up in his gang. A 'J' on a hand usually points to the latter, but others tend to reopen the wound from time to time to keep it from fading. This man has not done so in about... two years." He nodded to himself in confirmation. "Which means he was either brought down to a lower level of command, or he simply quit. Since Joker kills anyone who displeases him in any way, he wouldn't have survived being brought down to a lower level. He had to have quit." He knelt down and picket something up. "Looks like he turned traitor."

Gordon rose his eyebrows. "How could you possibly know that?"

Batman turned around and held up a coin for them to see. "It's not Dent's, but a cheap knock off. His gang members carry things like this in order to gain entry to certain places."

Jason absorbed all of this information as best as he could, but he had to admit that he wouldn't have been able to connect all of those dots like Bruce had. He stared at the scar on the thug's hand, thinking hard. The 'J' seemed significant for some reason. "Did one of Joker's men kill him?" He asked, and everyone turned to look at him. Suddenly feeling stupid, Robin's face went bright red. "I mean... someone must have known that he ditched his old boss for Two Face, right? Gangs usually kill off any traitors they find..." Batman gave him an odd look, and he looked away again. Great, now he was showing off his criminal knowledge. One of these days, Batman will realize how much of a mistake it was to take in a thief like him, and he would fire him, maybe even kick him out...

"Good work, Robin." The rare praise startled Jason, and he looked up in surprise. However, Batman now had his gaze back to the dead body. "This body was beaten to a pulp by a long, straight object, most likely a crowbar, from the looks of it." He grimaced. "Joker and his crew are famous for beating their victims with crowbars..." Now the conversion was definitely moving towards Dick's untimely demise.

Next to Jason, Batgirl winced and looked towards her left, eyes searching the area of the Clock Tower.

"But it might not have been a Joker thug," Gordon pointed out, likely trying to avoid the thin ice they were treading on. "Anyone could have used a crowbar."

"Correct." The device in his cowl activated and his eyes glowed dimly, a sign that he was now connected to the Bat Computer. "Agent A, I'm sending you a scan of a murder victim. I need you to search for a fingerprint match for the murderer." There was a pause, and he narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure?" He glanced at the body, seeming frustrated. "Yes, thank you. Batman out."

"What came back?" Batgirl asked, looking slightly fearful, as though she knew what was going to come up, but didn't want to believe it. Robin pouted; why was it that _he_ was always out of the loop?!

"Harley Quinn was here." Batman circled around the body, then slowly backed up to search the rest of the scene, becoming more agitated with every step he took.

Batgirl suddenly let out a sigh of relief, and her shoulders slumped. Jason narrowed his eyes slightly at her behavior. There was something fishy about Barbara...

"Are you sure?" Gordon asked hopefully, also looking around for any clues to where the villain could have ran off to.

"Of course I'm sure," Batman growled stalking back over to the body, giving it another look over. A few seconds later, he whirled around with a whip of his cape, and hastily pulled out a grapple gun. "Don't contaminate the crime scene. I'm going to the Bat Cave to analyze this further." With that, he was gone.

And now Robin had to either call the R-Cycle or walk home. He _loved_ it when Bruce forgot about him. He turned to look at Batgirl, who was staring at the body with a mournful expression. Geez, since when did she get so emotional over the bad guys? "I have to go too. See you later Commissioner, Robin." She too shot a grapple up, and zipped away to the nearest rooftop.

And then there were two...

"Uh, I better go too," Robin said hastily, fumbled with his own grapple gun. It slipped out of his fingers and landed on the ground with a thud, only adding onto his embarrassment. Some Boy Wonder he was...

Gordon smiled and picked it up, handing it to him with a light chuckle. "Relax, son. Accidents happen."

"Not to the other Robin," Jason mumbled as he took it from him, shuffling his feet.

The Commissioner put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I know it seems like you're living in his shadow but trust me, you're not. Batman wouldn't have let you work with him just to turn you into the same person the last Robin was, trust me."

Jason nodded slowly. "Thanks," he muttered, stepping away. With a wavering smile, Robin aimed his grapple at the nearest building and felt a familiar rush as he was pulled into the air. The old Robin was his role model, but he was dead. It was time for Jason to create his own version of the Boy Wonder, a _better_ one.

Even if Bruce _did_ want him to become a second Dick Grayson, he wouldn't. Not a chance.

xXx

As soon as Barbara had changed out of her costume in a deserted, fogged up phone booth, she immediately sprinted towards the Clock Tower. "Damn you, Dick," she muttered angrily to herself. "You nearly had me thinking that it was _you_ who killed that Joker thug. Why do you have to act so dangerous? I feel like you'll snap at any given moment."

The thought of her ex best friend suddenly finding the need to end someone else's life rattled her to the core, and she had to admit the revelation made her feel sick to the stomach. The boy she had grown up with had become a total stranger, and now she couldn't even tell if he held the same morals he once had. How far off was she when she thought he had sunk low enough to kill? Who knew if he had stepped over that line in his mental state?

A key was hastily pushed into her lock, and she all but threw the front door open to her small home. Her eyes scanned the living room for her not-so-deceased friend, but his earlier sanctuary on the sofa was abandoned. "Dick?!" She called out, moving from the living room to the kitchen, then hesitantly checked the bathroom, but it was empty as well. Lastly, she journeyed to her own bedroom, and thankfully found it to be deserted too. She would have torn his eyes out if he even _touched_ any of her things. That would be just plain creepy.

But that also meant that Dick had left her house, even after she had specifically requested that he remained where he was.

"I hate you so much right now," she said loudly, as though he would hear her somehow. "When I find out where you went..." she stopped in the middle of the living room, eyes catching the glint of a familiar needle. That used to contain a vial of Fear Toxin, but she had analyzed it and dumped it out a few days ago, which is why the dark liquid present inside of it was alarming. She picked it up from her desk and inspected it, realizing that it was filled with blood. "What in the world?" She finally caught sight of a piece of paper with familiar sloppy handwriting.

 _"This should clear up any concerns about my identity. If this doesn't satisfy you,_ _don't_ _follow me. I have some work to do involving Clark, and I now realize that you would only get in my way. Sorry. -DG"_

Barbara set the letter down, making note of how his handwriting matched the person who lent her a coat at the graveyard. That was a thought for another day, she decided as she held the vial of blood up to the light above her. Dick was apparently back from the dead, murdering people, visiting his own grave, and now he had to do something involving Clark?

"What mess have I gotten myself into?" She whispered to herself, closing her eyes. "I... I need to tell Bruce."

xXx

 **AN: Sorry for the update delay. I'm not even going to tell you my latest excuse, but know that I am working hard to update at a somewhat regular schedule.**

 **Thank you for your votes and comments! See you next chapter!**


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